


Gardening

by themadnessofwords



Category: These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Genre: F/M, Gardening, These Broken Stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 13:25:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1430119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadnessofwords/pseuds/themadnessofwords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Looks like the big boys need a hand.” Tarver looked up at the sound of his mother’s voice. She was carrying a huge pot of flowers and had a merry twinkle in her eye. Lilac stood next to her carrying a little shovel in one hand and balancing another pot of flowers on her hip. Her bright hair was loose and messy, she had dirt smudged on her face, her clothes were large and baggy and she was smirking down at him lying on his back. She had never looked more beautiful than she did now at his home, Tarver decided.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gardening

**Author's Note:**

> Tarver and Lilac help Tarver’s parents garden on their home planet.

Tarver slammed his shovel back into the dirt. The dark soil sifted easily and released a rich, earthy smell. A small white grub with glossy blue eyes wriggled in the dirt. He lifted it up and tossed it away easily with the tip of his shovel. He continued digging down, creating a deep hole and a small pile of dirt next to it. He wiped the sweat from his eyes, moved two feet down, and started digging again.

His father moved into his peripheral vision, humming happily. He was carrying a rack of tubes and wrenches and was repairing the irrigation system. Tarver watched his father squat on the ground and unearth a sprinkler head. He started to pull on the nozzle, but it refused to give even with all the twisting and grunting.

Tarver stuck his shovel in the half-finished hole and wiped his filthy hands on his pants. He walked over to his dad and bent down next to him. “Need a hand dad?”

Tarver’s father looked up and smiled at his only surviving son. “Hold this and when I tell you, pull! Ready? One…two…three, now!” Tarver twisted fiercely, the muscles in his back protesting. His shoulders tightened as he strained against the metal and then…pop! The nozzle flew off with the tube following easily. Both Tarver and his father lost their grip and tumbled onto their backs. Water began spraying wildly and in an instant they were soaked.

“Looks like the big boys need a hand.” Tarver looked up at the sound of his mother’s voice. She was carrying a huge pot of flowers and had a merry twinkle in her eye. Lilac stood next to her carrying a little shovel in one hand and balancing another pot of flowers on her hip. Her bright hair was loose and messy, she had dirt smudged on her face, her clothes were large and baggy and she was smirking down at him lying on his back. She had never looked more beautiful than she did now at his home, Tarver decided.

She knelt next to him putting the flowers down. “Maybe you should help your mother to plant these. I’ll handle this.” She flashed him a knowing grin and he was tempted to pull her down and tell her to handle _him_ instead. But his parents were eyeing them in amusement preventing anything. He sat up grumpily, knowing Lilac was enjoying his frustration, and tried to wipe the dirt from her cheek. Instead he just managed to spread it even more wildly. Oh well.

“Fine. You can take over here. But don’t come crying to me if it gets too hard for you Princess.” Tarver knew he was all talk, Lilac could fix anything, but he still loved teasing her. She scoffed at him and rolled her eyes in response.

“Of course. Don’t worry. I’ll come to you if things get too difficult.” She patted his head consolingly and picked up a wrench. The broken sprinkler was still spraying water everywhere, turning the ground to mud, and in seconds Lilac’s clothes were soaked too. Mr. Merendsen grabbed a replacement tube and the two bent over the piping. Lilac began unbolting and pulling and repairing like a professional. Tarver watched her in fascination wondering how in the galaxy he’d managed to end up with her. He could have watched her work forever but eventually his mother prodded him.

“Let’s go darling, make yourself useful. These aren’t going to plant themselves.”


End file.
